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What 14 teams are positioned to make the NFL playoffs in the 2025 regular season, from the eight division winners to six total wild cards?
What would the seeding look like in the race for Super Bowl LX?
Here are the answers in Sporting News' latest look at how the postseason field is coming together in both conferences going into the Monday night game of Week 17:
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NFL playoff picture for Week 17
AFC
1. Denver Broncos, 13-3 (champions, AFC West)
The Broncos clinched the division title after holding off the Chiefs on Christmas night and then watching the second-place Chargers lose to the Texans on Saturday. They will need to beat the Chargers or see the Patriots lose to the Dolphins to earn the top seed in Week 18.
2. New England Patriots, 13-3 (champions, AFC East)
The Patriots clinched the division title with their win over the Jets coupled by the Bills losing the Eagles. They can still earn the top seed over the Broncos with a win over the Dolphins and a Broncos loss to the Chargers in Week 18.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars, 12-4 (first place, AFC South)
The Jaguars, who have clinched at least an AFC wild-card berth, still lead the division by a game over the Texans after their win over the Colts. The Jaguars will win the division with a win over the Titans or a Texans loss to the Colts in Week 18.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers, 9-7 (first place, AFC North)
The Steelers, who got shocked by the Browns on Sunday, ssaw their division lead over the Ravens shrink after one game after the Ravens beat the Packers on Saturday night. The Steelers will now host a de facto division championship game vs. the Ravens in Week 18.
5. Houston Texans, 11-5 (second place, AFC South)
The Texans, who have clinched at least a wild-card berth, kept the pressure on the Jaguars in the division after beating the Chargers on the road on Saturday. The Texans have the top wild-card spot thanks to a head-to-head sweep of the Bills and Chargers. The Texans need the Jaguars to lose to the Titans in Week 18 and also beat the Colts to win a third consecutive division title.
6. Los Angeles Chargers, 11-5 (second place, AFC West)
The Chargers have clinched a playoff berth and will settle for being a strong wild-card team again. They lose the head-to-head tiebreaker vs. the Texans from Week 17 but hold the common-games tiebreaker over the Bills going into Week 18.
7. Buffalo Bills, 11-5 (second place, AFC East)
The Bills have clinched a playoff berth but saw their five-year division reign end with their home loss to the Eagles in Week 17 coupled with the Patriots' rout of the Jets. The Bills are playing for only wild-card position now and could rest players vs. the Jets.
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Who's in the hunt?
9. Baltimore Ravens (8-8)
Who's out?
8. Indianapolis Colts (8-8)
10. Miami Dolphins (7-9)
11. Cincinnati Bengals (6-10)
12. Kansas City Chiefs (6-10)
13. Cleveland Browns (4-12)
14. New York Jets (3-13)
15. Tennessee Titans (3-13)
16. Las Vegas Raiders (2-14)
The Colts were eliminated from playoff contention before facing the Jaguars, once the Texans beat the Chargers. The Chiefs continued their freefall, suffering their fifth consecutive defeat—now without Patrick Mahomes—against the Broncos on Christmas night. The Raiders got closer to locking down the top overall drat pick in 2026.
NFC
Credit: Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune
1. Seattle Seahawks, 13-3 (first place, NFC West)
The Seahawks lead the 49ers by one game in the division race after their big win over the Panthers in Carolina on Sunday and the 49ers also winning on Sunday night vs. the Bears. The Week 18 game in San Francisco turns into the de facto NFC championship game with the top seed and home-field advantage also on the line.
2. Chicago Bears, 11-5 (champions, NFC North)
The Bears clinched the division title on Saturday night before losing their shootout against the 49ers on Sunday night, thanks to the Packers losing to the Ravens, which put Green Bay too far behind going into Week 18. The Bears can no longer earn the No. 1 seed with the loss, but they can stay here with a win over the Lions at home in Week 18 or a loss by the Eagles, as they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Eagles.
3. Philadelphia Eagles, 11-5 (champions, NFC East)
The Eagles clinched the division title in Week 16 and stayed in play for the No. 2 seed by winning a tough interconference matchup over the Bills in Buffalo. The Eagles need to beat the Commanders in Week 18 and hope the Bears lose to the Lions to move up to No. 2.
4. Carolina Panthers 8-8 (first place, NFC South)
The Panthers still lead the Buccaneers by a game after their home loss to the Seahawks because of the Buccaneers' road loss at the Dolphins. The division comes down to the rematch in a de facto NFC South championship game with Carolina going to Tampa Bay in Week 18.
5. San Francisco 49ers, 12-4 (second place, NFC West)
The 49ers, after outlasting the Bears in Week 17 in that home thriller, would be the division champions plus No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs if they can win again at home vs. the Seahawks to close the season in Week 18, which would finish a season sweep that started in Week 1.
6. Los Angeles Rams, 11-4 (third place, NFC West)
The Rams have clinched at least a wild-card spot but now the division title is out of their control in relation to the Seahawks and 49ers. They're looking at best finishing in second place in the West.
7. Green Bay Packers, 9-6-1 (second place, NFC North)
The Packers, who clinched a wild-card berth with the Lions losing to the Vikings on Christmas, can no longer win the division title over the Bears after losing at home to the Ravens on Saturday night. They should rest their several injured key players, led by Jordan Love, in Week 18 after locking into this last playoff seed.
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Who's in the hunt?
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9)
The Buccaneers stayed alive despite their loss Sunday at the Dolphins because the Panthers also lost to the Seahawks, The division title comes down to a one-and-done in Tampa Bay in Week 18.
Who's out?
8. Minnesota Vikings (8-8)
9. Detroit Lions (8-8)
10. Dallas Cowboys (7-8-1)
12. Atlanta Falcons (6-9)
13. New Orleans Saints (6-10)
14. Washington Commanders (4-12)
15. Arizona Cardinals (3-13)
16. New York Giants (3-13)
The Lions were the most recent team to be eliminated with their loss to the Vikings on Christmas day, which also came with them falling into last place in the division.
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